Cable connecter



April 18, 1933. s. N. BUCHANAN 1,904,617

CABLE CONNECTER Filed March 18, 1932 I )lil Patented Apr. 18,

Y y i 1,904,617

:w: n aucnnumor manna, mrw .maaar application ma man is, ma. semi in, 599,622. i

The invention pertains to a connecter by means of which parkway or trench-lay cable is anchored and grounded in an opening, such as an outlet opening in a box, and 5 tight seal established betwn the connecter and the cable. The invention also pertains to a wall assembly by which cable constructed similarly-to parkway or trench-la cable is secured within the opening in a wa such as the wall of an entry box, the armor of the cable is grounded to the wall and a weatherproof or moisture-proof seal established between the cable connecter and the cable.

It is an object of the invention to construct a connecter ada ted to be used with cables constructed s' arl to trench-lay or parkway cable in which t e cable is within the connecter, thel armor is electrically grounded to the connecter and tightv seal established between the connecter and the cable. l

Another object of the invention is to construct a wall assembly' by means of whichl an electrical cable havi armor is anchored wit wall, the armor is grounded t0 through the connecter and a weather-proof or moisture-tight seal is made between the connecter and the cable.

apparent f rom the' following description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing showing a referred embodiment of the invention, in w ch:

Figure 1 is a plan view ofan entry box with a section of parkway cable leading thereto which cable is secured within an opening inv the wall ofthe box by means of a connecter shown in the other es.

Figure 2 is an e oded view of the cable connecter with portions of the various parts in section to more clearly show the construction thereof. Y

Figure 3 is a cross-section through anassembled connecter showing the connecter gripping the metallic armor of the cable in which the armor is of the flat or strip type,

in order to anchor the cable in the connecterand ground the armor through tlie connecter.

5 Figure 4f a cross-section of a connecter a moisturemetallic protective `tallic armor through Other obg'ects of the invention willbe more is also 'suitable or securin 4the cable.

trenches and hence su jected to in-seepage of boxes if amoisture or gripping the metallic armor of a cablewhich Y armor is vof the interlockin formv and grounding the armor through t e connecter.

Parkway cable is a form of rotected cable in which the wires are embe ded in insu-l lation and a protecting flexible and metallic` armor is wrapped around the insulated wires in order to effectively protect the wires against abrasion. in turn coated with Ainsulating material heldin place by. a woven fabric cover so that the resulting cable is in the neighborhood of anI inch to an inch and a quarter inv diameter. This type of cablehas now been .api proved for house and building entrieshm substitution for insulated `wires passing through metallic conduit, and entryv connections into an entry box should be moisture or weather-proof exposed to be described herein is adapted to erform three functions, namely, to anchor e cable within or at the opening in the. wall of an entry box or other structure, ground the methe connecter to the entry box or wall, `and provide a moistureproof seal between the cable connecter and the, cable. The connecter to be described herein effectively meets all of these conditions. v

The connecter, by constructed similarly secured for ent into means of which cable to parkway cable is buildings and houses, trench-lay. cable in the openings of boxes, protecting metallic armor with-the box, and for I forming a water-tight connecter having an eiective seal between the connecter an Trench-la cable is laid in open moisture into the weatherproof seal is not connecter and the cable. that the armor of an armeregrounded land eiectivelyjf performsv the three forth above. y l

The conneeter is shown in Figure '.1 anchoring a section of arkway cable 10 in an openmade between the It is im ortant to'o cable be functions set ing in an entry ox 1 1 which is carried upon 1N' The armor of the cable is since the cable is 4 the elements. The connecten to;v

or grounding the I the connecter tobe described U the wall of a buildin 12. The plarkway cable 10 is shown para elin the wa of the building 12 until itis well a ve the ground level at which point the wires are carried to a distributing pole or point. Since the cable is upon the exterior wall of a building, it is exposed and open to weather and also is in a vertical posltion. Rain falling upon the cable would ow down the cable and pass between the cable and the connecter into the entry' box 11, unless the connecter Lis so con structed that it is weather-proof. A moisture-tight seal is provided, therefore, between the connecter 13 and the cable 10.

The connecter 13 includes aconnecter member15 having means, such as the threaded nipple 16, for securing the connecter within an opening in a wall, such as the wall of the entry box 11. The connecter member 15 has a passa e 17 therethrough to receive the cable an to permit the passage ci2 wires through the connecter into the entry box 11.

The connecter member 1'5 carries cable clamping means which clamps and anchors the cable within the connecter member. The cable clamping means also establishes an electrical ground between the metallic armor which is wound around the cable and the connecter as will appear more fully herein after. The cable clamping means includes a contractile c able clamp 20 which, in its preferred construction, is a sleeve having lon gitudinal or axial slots 21 which render the end of the cable clamp 20 exible or contractile. Obviously, any contractile clamp is suitable. The cable clamp 20 is received in a recess 22 in the connecter member 15 and its sleeve form permits the passage of a cable and wires therethrough. The ccntractile end of the cable clamp 20 projects beyond the end of the connecter member 15. The projecting end of the cable clamp 20 carries preferably a taper 23, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter.

The connecter member 15 is externally threaded at 25 and receives an internally threaded operating member 26. The operai;n ing member carries an internal taper 27 corresponding with the taper 23 upon the cable clamp. The operating means 26 has an externally threaded extension 28 and upon the end of the extension is a taper surface 29 against which packing or a packing ring 35 is pressed. A gland nut 32 is internally threaded and received upon the threaded extension 28. The gland nut 32 carries a taper surface 33 therein extending in the opposite direction from the taper 29 upon the end of the extension 28 :if the operating means 26. The packing ring 35 is shown clamped in osition between the opposed taperin sur# aces 29 and 33 and the cable to estab 'sh .a mosture-tight seal between the connecter and the cable C or particularly between the @grating means or member 26 and the cable.

acoger! The connecter is shown assembledv and gripping the end of a arkway'cableC in igure 3. The outer insulation upon the cable C is shown as being removed u n that section of the cable which is receiv within the cable clamp or shell 20 in order to expose the metallic armor M l ing beneath the outer insulating cover. cable clamp 20 carries a bushin 36 at its end against which the armor M a uts. The inner insulation I of the cable C within the armor M passes through the bushing and the nipple 16 of the connecter member 15 and the wires W project out of the insulation I.

Upon tightening or threading the-operating means or member 26 upon the external threads 25 of the connecter member 15, the internal taper 27 engages the taper 23 upon the end of the cable clamp 20 and contracts the flexible end of the clamp to grip the armor M of the cable C. The cable clamp 20 in gripping the armor also establishes electrical contact therebetween and the connecter so that an electrical ground is established with the entry box 11 through the connecter.

The gland nut 32 is threaded and tightened upon t e threaded extension 28 carried by the clamp means 26 to compress the packing 35 between the opposed tapered surfaces 29 and 33 so that the packing is brought into intimate ccntact with the cable C and forms a moistureproof seal therebetween. 1t will be noted that the operating member 26 is externally threaded upon the connecter inember 15 so that the operatingvmeans forms a water shedding cap for they connecter member 15, particularly when in a vertical position as shbwn in Figure 1. Water cannot seep upwardly into the connecter member 15 through this capped form of threaded connection.

The connecr shown in Figure 4 is essen` vtially the saine as that shown in Figure 3, excepting that the connecter member 15 carries a bushing 46 against which the end of the armor M instead of abutting against a, -bushing upon the end of the cable clamp 23 is shown in Figure 3. In all other respects the connectors are similarly constructed and hence the construction of connecter shown in Figure 4 will net be further described. The cable clamp of Figure d is shown as gripping the interlockin form of metallic armor, thereby showing t at the connecter is adapted forcables irrespective of the Vform of protecting metallic armor used. The armor bushing may be rovided upon the cable clamp, as shown in igure 3, or upon the connecter member.' as shown in Figure 4,4 with either the fiat 'or interlocking form of armor' used upon the cable.

The cable connecter described herein includes a connecter member 15 having means to anchor the connecter within an opening in he contractile a wall, such' as the wall of the entry box 11 shown in Figure 1. The connecter member 15 carries clamping means or a cable clamp 21 and an operating means 26 which contracts the cable clamp to gri the armor M of the cable. The, cable c amp therefore not only secures or anchors-'the cable within the connecter, which in turn anchors the cable Within an opening in a wall, but also establishes electrical contact with the metallic armor M of the cable. An electrical ground is established thereby which is carried through the connecter to the wall in which the connecter is secured because of the metal to metal contact between the connecter and the wall.- The connecter also carries means for establishing a moisture-ti ht seal between the connecter and the cable This moisture-tight sealing means is carried preferably by the operating means 26 which also operates to contract t e cable clamp 21 as described hereinbefore.

It will be noted that the connecter described herein also completes a wall assembly by means of which a cable is secured within an opening in a wall, such as the wall of an inlet box, and the protective metallic armor of the cable is grounded through the connect er to the wall -by the cable clam ing means gripping and contacting with t e metallic armor. The connecter also forms a moisturetight seal between the connecter and the cable and the connecter is, in addition, so constructed that the seeping in of moisture thereinto is not ossible so that a weather-proof wall assemb y is provided. v

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the con ration, composition and disposition of t e component elements going to make u the invention as a whole, as well as in the s ective combination or application of the res tive elemente, and no limitation is intende by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing, except as indicated in the appended claims. l v

What is claimed is:

1. A cable connecter comprising a connecter member having a passage therethrough to receive a cable, meanscarried by the connecter member to anchor the latter in a wall opening, a sleeve having longitudinalA slots therein forming flexible arms, the sleeve being carried within the connecter member with the ends of the arms projecting beyond the end thereof, operating means carried upon the exterior of the connecter member, the operating means engaging the projecting ends of the flexible arms to contract the same, an extension upon the operatin means having a passage t erethrou h for 51e cable, and

packing means carried y the extension to seal the space between the latter and the cable.

2. A cable connecter comprising a connecter member having a passage therethrough to receive a cable and with external threads thereon, means carried by the connecter member to anchor the latter in a wall opening, a sleeve having longitudinal slots therein forming flexible arms, the sleeve bein carried within the connecter member with t e ends of the arms projectinghllieyond the end thereof, operating means eadedly engaging the t reads on the connecter member, an internal taper upon the operating means engaging the projecting ends of the flexible arms to contract the same upon longitudinal movement of the operating means, an extension upon the operating means having a passage there through for the cable, and packing means carried by the extension to seal the space between the latter and the o rating means.

In testimony whereof aix m signature.

STEPHEN N. BUC NAN. v 

